Any Second Now

Rainbow Tights

I was talking to a friend and fellow blogger at work (she’s linked on my blogroll under FishouttaH2O Photography), and she asked me where she can get a good pair of textured tights that are not just black.

That got me thinking…so, here are a few good places that I’ve found to prepare for the fall and winter seasons in tights that are not just your basic black:

Hue.com – One of the first names that come to mind when I think of hosiery.

Target – I always head to Target first to their hosiery and socks department for great prices and decent selection.

American Apparel – Great selection of colors in their opaque tights.

Kohls – I love the Simply Vera Wang indigo tights I bought there. Such a subtle contrast with an all black outfit.

ASOS – They usually have a great selection of tights, but I don’t see them right now. Check the sale selection. I bought a great pair of burgundy tights there for only $3 (US).

Topshop – The selection at the stores is even better, but you’ll still get a great selection online. Check out the Henry Holland House Tights!

New Look – I regret not buying every color of the tights I saw on sale when I was last in London.

DSW – They don’t have a great selection online. But when you’re in line getting ready to check out at an actual store location, you can grab a great pair at the last-minute at racks near the registers (I included the link in case your fancy turns to shoes, like mine just did).

Navy Exchange – You have to be in the military or be related to someone in the military to shop at a store or log onto the site. But if you get the chance to, it’s worth it. The one that we shop at has an entire wall of hosiery.

Lori’s Shoes – Just bought my clogs there! Great selection of shoes and hosiery, plus great customer service.

Tory Burch Private Sale

Tory Burch is having a private sale! Click on the picture to take you to a site not available unless you’ve signed up on toryburch.com

Remember those great sandals called the Alani Chain Demi Wedge Thongs in my “Endless Summer Wedges” entry? They were originally $250 and are now $75. Different variations on the popular Reva flats are also on sale (starting at $66).

Take advantage of great prices on clothing, shoes and of course the signature purses and totes. The sale runs until August 23. I’m eying the “Jakey Heel“. Get it while you can!

Update: I just put in my order for the Jakey Heel. But it is subject to availability. I suggest putting in your request right away to get the best selection of your favorite items in the sale. Also, in order to view anything regarding the sale, you must enter your email address. If you are just looking for the picture of the Jakey Heel but don’t want to enter your email, it is pictured below. I hope I get them!

Update (8.20.2010): I got them! Yay!

Jakey Heel in Luggage - Tory Burch

Mobile Picture of the Day

My friend Jimi currently lives in Boston. He was walking down the street and saw this sign at a wireless store. He knows that I am a big fan of eighties music (having grown up as a teen during that time), so he sent me this picture on Saturday. Is their slogan, “When it comes to your cell phone,we give you What You Need“?

Gilt Groupe Gets on Target

I’m SO excited! From my entries, I’m sure you know that I love the whole “Go International” campaign Target runs where they collaborate with designers to create affordable versions of their lines. When I missed out on the Luella line, I vowed to always be at the ready when a new line comes out. Since then, I’ve been able to purchase great clothing and accessories from their collaborations with Patrick Robinson, Erin Fetherston, Alexander McQueen, Alice Temperley, Loeffler Randall, Anya Hindmarch, Ana Sui, Zac Posen and Liberty of London.

Target has teamed up with the Gilt Groupe (an invitation-only online boutique) to bring their latest collaborations to people who register with them before they hit the Target stores in September. The newest collaborations include Tucker, John Darian (for the home) and Mulberrry! The preview sale begins on August 20 at 9am PST and lasts only 36 hours.

(I’ve been eyeing the dresses from the Tucker collection, but I had no idea about the Mulberry line!)

Register for free at the link below to get on Gilt, and you will also get a $10 credit. I’m already registered (of course), so I won’t be able to take advantage of the credit, but that doesn’t mean you can’t!

I’m ready…are you?

Keep Calm and Carry On Shopping

If you enjoyed the Confessions of a Shopaholic series by Sophie Kinsella like I did, you’ll be glad to know there is news regarding the series: She has a new book coming out called Mini Shopaholic. It’s all about the new adventures of our heroine Rebecca Brandon (formerly Bloomwood) and her 2-year-old daughter, Minnie. It is due out on shelves on September 2 (UK) and September 21 (US).

I’m not sure what to think, but I saw something else on that site: A possible movie on the second book called Shopaholic Takes Manhattan (US) or Shopaholic Abroad (UK and elsewhere). When you click on the link for these books, it says “film tie-in edition” and there is even a cover which has Isla Fisher getting into a taxi. I checked IMDB.com, and I didn’t see that anything was in production or in post-production, which is thoroughly confusing! Believe me, I will keep hunting to see if I can dig up anything. Stay tuned!

In the meantime, if you register to receive newsletters from Sophie Kinsella’s official site, you will be entered into a contest to win one of 10 copies of the Mini Shopaholic book before the official release, which includes a “Keep Calm and Carry On Shopping” bag, signed by Sophie herself! You can click on the link to Sophie’s official site on my Blogroll, or click on the link below to take you directly to the competitions page on the site. Winners will be selected at random from different parts of the world accordingly: 3 UK residents, 3 US residents, 2 Canadian residents and 2 rest of the world.

I re-registered to win, too. Good luck to those that enter (including myself)!

Win a copy of Mini Shopaholic!

Inspiration is Ageless…as is Style

My 40th Birthday in NYC (top, Jean Paul Gaultier for Target)

When I began this blog, I wasn’t sure where exactly I would go with it. Fashion? Lifestyle? It started off with just being inspired to write again after reading the Cupcakes and Cashmere blog. Once the flow of writing came out, then my husband and son inspired me to write about the things I love. I also thought of the passing of my father and how it affected myself, my mother and sister, remembering how fleeting life is and that we must enjoy everything in this world with the people we love the most.

I then started to worry about how I want to present myself as a 40-year-old new wife and also mother of a very young toddler. I never want to appear as if I was either trying too hard or that I should present myself a certain way because I’m not in my 20’s or 30’s.

Further reading brought me to The Glamourai and Karla’s Closet blogs. I was reminded that style and beauty are ageless. I know I have “found myself” now that I’ve approached that milestone of 40. I know what I like and dislike. I’ve weeded out all of my insecurities about what people think of me. This drives me to do the things that make me happy. Part of that happiness comes in the form of creativity and artistry. Even in my 20’s, choosing a major of visual arts in college set me apart from my friends who chose more “conventional” paths. I wasn’t going to settle for anything less.

I have always been complimented by my friends on my style, which is an offshoot of my creativity. Some of the best compliments I received was when I was pregnant. I vowed to limit the amount of maternity clothing I purchased because I didn’t want to stifle my creativity with my clothes. I did well up until 6 months. Even then, I didn’t let the introduction of maternity clothes limit my ability to experiment and make every outfit unique. I made sure to shop at places like Topshop which offered clothing that was a maternity version of their regular lines. Friends and co-workers said that they told their friends about my pregnancy style, which made me feel infinitely great. I definitely want to remain stylish at every point in my life, even through pregnancy.

While pregnant, I went on a trip to London and saw the first “Sex and the City” movie on the plane ride there, not having seen any of the episodes during it’s run on HBO. During my maternity leave from work, I watched all six seasons of “Sex and the City”. These women were my age, and still fabulous! When I returned to work four months later, another friend at work mentioned that she wasn’t sure what happened during my leave, but it seemed that my style “got dialed up”. My inner Carrie Bradshaw was released. I was inspired.

The bottom line is that I just need to trust myself. Approaching 40 doesn’t mean that who I am as a person goes away because of what is expected when that milestone is hit . It’s realizing that after all the experience and learning I’ve done to this point, I have to trust that if it has gotten me this far and has only improved, I must be doing something right.

Thanks to all who have inspired me and continue to inspire me. As in the words of the Glamourai Manifesto: I shall go forth and live glamorously!

Deal of the Day: Safety Gate

A friend asked me what kind of safety gate I use to separate the living room area from the kitchen (in my case it’s the family room from the kitchen). We tried one that had spring release to mount the gate. Since we have 5 inch baseboard all through the house, it just didn’t work with that walk way.

This is the gate that we eventually found at Babies R Us: it’s the Infant Sure and Secure Extra Tall Walk-Thru Gate by Summer. This gate is pressure mounted, so it had 4 areas that allowed for mounting on uneven surfaces, so we could install it even with the baseboard. It has a hinged door that automatically shuts when you swing it closed. Even though there is a slide tab at the top of the gate, you have to lift it up to get out. My son has figured out how to slide the tab, but doesn’t know how to lift it up (and he’s not tall enough, but he’s definitely getting there!).

What I like most about it is that it is visually appealing and blends in with our decor. It looks like it’s a part of the house rather than an afterthought because we now have a child.

Lucky for you, it’s currently on sale at Toys R Us/Babies R Us. It was $59.99 and is now $51.99. It’s always great to be safe and save!

Tis The (Football) Season

San Diego Chargers Women's Slit Shoulder Top - Touch By Alyssa Milano

It’s that time of year, and some say the most wonderful time of the year. It’s time for football!

If you know anything at all about me, you know I’m a very avid football fan (as mentioned in my “Golf Widow” entry). I have a journal from when I was around 8 where part of my day included the scores of my favorite San Diego teams: the Padres and the Chargers. The game that solidified my fandom was a game affectionately called “The Epic In Miami” played in January 1982. It was a game with the Chargers against the Dolphins in Miami that was an all out battle into overtime, with the Chargers emerging the victors. I was 11 at the time, and I can remember it like it was yesterday. Kellen Winslow became my hero that game. That was the Chargers team that should have gone on to win a Superbowl. Their path ended in the AFC Championship game against the Bengals known as “Freezer Bowl“.

I had my hopes pinned on last year’s team to be the next Chargers team to go to the Superbowl and possibly win. But alas, that was not to happen (I did enjoy seeing Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints winning). I was a little hesitant to watch this season because I’m not really sure how my Chargers are going to do this year. They cut LaDainian Tomlinson and now he’s with the New York Jets. I absolutely refuse to watch “Hard Knocks” on HBO because they are featuring The Jets. It just hurts too much.

But as much as I try to turn away from the game, it’s already starting to draw me back in. It’s pre-season, and I’m going to watch tomorrow’s game against the Chicago Bears (it’s blacked out locally, but it will be televised after the live game finishes). I just can’t say no. My husband bought the NFL Ticket from Direct TV, so we will have every game…anytime.

Looking at my closet, I also need to update some of my gear. I have my regular jerseys (5 to be exact), which are really difficult to accessorize, so the thought is to not even try. If I go to a game, a sports bar or to a football party in a jersey, I pair it with shorts or jeans and cute little sneakers, flat sandals or my Toms. However, Alyssa Milano has a line of clothing called Touch (as seen here on Fandalia). This is a line designed for women as an alternative to the jersey, hoodie or t-shirt. I like that slit shoulder top pictured in this entry (found at the NFL Shop). It’s a nice item that I may get just to dress up my normal game day gear.

In the end, I don’t think it matters how you show your loyalty, as long as you show it. And although I thought that I wasn’t going to be doing much celebrating this season, I think football fever has struck again.

GO CHARGERS!

Clearance Sales: Plumo & Patricia Field

Here are a couple of clearance sales that popped up in my inbox today. Take advantage while you can!

(Click on the pictures for links to the sites)

1 Week Left For Up To 70% Off

70% Off End Of Season + 20% Off Aug 13-15

Update: I emailed Plumo.com to let them know I’ve been featuring them on my blog. I received a very nice note back!

Hi Cyrillynn,

That’s fantastic, many thanks, it’s much appreciated. Your blog looks great too.

All the best,

Esther

2 for 1: Great Clog Blog and a Shoe Discount!

Charli-C in Black Suede - Jeffrey Campbell

I entered a contest through a blog entry at Jeffrey Campbell’s official site, which was through another blog called “Every Clog Has It’s Day“. When entering the contest, I mistakenly thought that the entry was from the JC blog and only realized after not winning that it is its own blog (click on the link or check out my Blog Roll).

What a very cool blog all about…clogs! This gal truly has a love for the shoe, and why not? I’ve always liked clogs myself (I own 3 pairs) because of the vintage feel and bold look they provide any outfit. Stylish and natural (due to the wood), it provides a sort of whimsy feeling for me. I think of my bakya (wooden clogs) from the Philippines when I was 8 that I bought at the palenke (marketplace). My family took a trip there and I brought back a pair of the colorful shoes. I wore them until they couldn’t fit. They were beautiful: I remember the carvings in the heel and embroidered upper fastened with nails…I think I’ve found my source for all things to do with the wooden shoe. What a great blog Lindsey and thanks for that little trip down memory lane!

I didn’t win a pair of Jeffery Campbell’s shoes, but I did get a great discount at a site called Lori’s Shoes out of Chicago. While you had to enter the contest to get the deal I did, first time visitors get $10 off of your purchase of $75 or more by taking a survey located on a link at the site or by entering your email to subscribe to their newsletter.